Temporary agoraphobia relief?
Question:
problem is, i have a week and a half of summer school left [doesn't seem like that long but for an agoraphobic it is a lifetime]. since i have to go the next week and a half without meds or a therapist, does anyone have any suggestions to get through a few more days of summer school?
*Note: the summer school is not at my normal school. i do not know any of the staff/teachers there so that doesn't help. i do have a few friends there (not close friends) so i tend to get extra anxiety around people...so that's not helping anything.
any suggestions would be helpful, thanks!
Answers:
JUST TRY GOING WITH THE FEELING, DONT TRY TO SHUT DOWN, JUST LET IT HAPPEN, DONT FIGHT IT.SORRY
That's a tough one. You know you have agoraphobia, so first realize that what you are feeling is based on your phobia. If you know that your fears are irrational (from defininition of phobia) when you get that urge to panic and run, just recognize it for what it is. Allow yourself to feel it and keep moving. You know it won't kill you, even if it feels like it. Don't try to fight the feelings just move through them. Concentrate on your breathing, making sure that your breaths are deep. Breathe deep enough so that you stomach rises before your chest. Try to stay interested in classes, watch other people. When you find you mind drifting back to your fears, refocus on everyone else and your breathing. If this all sounds like a therapy session, it came from one of the fist sessions from a therapist I saw for agoraphobia. If you really try it, it will help. If it helps at all, I suffered from panic attacks with agoraphobia for years, and I finally got it under control. I go everywhere I want, and hardly give it a thought anymore. When it pops up, I do what I described above. Another thought, you could possibly talk to the school counselor or nurse. Sometimes just talking about it to anyone helps.
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